Shadows
by XTAIGAX
Summary: When Yosuke has a dream foretelling what may happen to Souji, he asks the most obvious question. The reply is fearful, and Yosuke has found a reason of why he may or may not fear the soft-hearted steel-colored boy.
1. BlackWhite Arc To Reveal One's Shadow

Shadows

Part One

* * *

_It was white, just pure white. No, it was silver. It was the mist. And somewhere ahead, there was a dark gray._

_He walked closer to the outcast shade and, in turn, the dark grew lighter._

"_Huh?" the boy gasped._

_Only the other boy's slightly tanned skin and black jeans stood out, because everything else was the color of the mist._

_The boy's eyes landed on the small golden-brown eyes of the other. They were steely. Then, the silence broke. And soon after, so did the gray eyes. They closed, then reopened as a neon yellow with small spots of shining silver._

"_Finally," the gray boy spoke, "You have begun to question my other."_

"_What?"_

"_You've been wondering why Souji hasn't fought his shadow."_

"_N-no…" the strawberry blonde boy replied._

"_You lie to yourself, Yosuke. Why? Had the Shadow Yosuke not taught you anything?" the yellow-eyed Souji questioned._

_Yosuke moved backwards into the mist as a response._

_Souji disappeared, laughing maniacally. "That's right, just distance yourself. Distance yourself like _everyone else_!"_

_Yosuke kept sliding backwards into the mist. He bumped into something soft and reluctantly looked behind him._

"_Hey, Yosuke." another steely-eyed Souji greeted._

"_Is that really you, Partner?" Yosuke asked. Souji let his calm mask slip for a moment into confusion._

"_Yeah, why? What's wrong, Yosuke?"_

_Souji's confusion slipped back into his calm mask, and time seemed to stop there._

"_So, now that you've met me, you're scared of him? That's hypocritical of you. He accepted _you_ just fine. That doesn't make a lot of sense, now does it, Appetizer?"_

_A hand shot out from behind him and landed on Souji's neck. Souji still had that expressionless, unreadable, calm face on._

_Yosuke stood there, shocked, as the person behind him squeezed._

"_I hope you know," the Souji behind him said, "if this keeps up, and you don't figure out something, this boy," he squeezed his hand to emphasis his point, "is going to still be heading down the road of self-sacrifice."_

_He squeezed even harder and Souji crumpled to the ground._

"_Since I'm him, and he's me, does that mean he died by suicide?"_

_Yosuke turned angrily. The fog had cleared and it became Inaba. Chie walked by, talking to Yukiko, Naoto was on the other side of a fence, and Kanji and Rise were arguing over something. Several other people he knew were walking around the buildingless place._

_Everyone except Souji Seta._

_The future was clear, and _it didn't have Souji in it.

Yosuke woke up, gasping, tangled in sheets, and sweaty. "It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream." he chanted to himself. He couldn't really imagine a place; past, present, or future, without Souji. The world might as well _revolved_ around him. He practically changed every person he met, helped people with their problems, saw the clearer side of everything. So, why would such a dream happen? Where everything seemed too real, and he hoped it was just his imagination. He hoped to so many things.

PERSONA. .ANOSREP PERSONA. .ANOSREP-+-

Souji felt a chill down his spine all during school. A few times he turned around and found Yosuke staring really hard at him.

After Mr. Moron's class let out, Yosuke dragged Souji by the wrist and dragged him to the roof. Yosuke quickly turned the moment Souji flew through the door, and said, "I really need to know something."

Souji nodded the go-ahead, because it seemed it was really close to raining, the sky was as dark as the depths of the ocean, and Yosuke asked, "Why haven't you fought your Shadow yet?"

Souji looked sideways, finding the fence interesting, and replied, "I guess I don't keep secrets."

The next thing that happened surprised them both. Souji's steel eyes grew wide and his hands flew to his chest.

"Gaaah!" Souji screamed at the ground. Yosuke flew over to him and panicked. What was he supposed to do? What was wrong?

Souji fell to his knees, still screaming, but biting it back, and finally stopped when his voice couldn't take any more strain. He looked up at Yosuke; eyes watering, face flushed and sweating, and panting. Souji started to mouth something, and then stared back down at the ground.

"What?" Yosuke asked, squatting down beside the misty-haired boy.

"Nothing." Souji replied, and instantly started a coughing fit. "Okay! Okay!" Yosuke's stomach turned at how much pain he sunded. "I'm sorry. I lied." Souji wheezed out. "If I tell you… about everything… Will you not tell anyone?"

Yosuke was honestly confused and asked, "Why?"

"Because I… am on the verge of lying to myself." Souji looked up, ashamed, and looking for any stray emotions. He saw none that would stop him like fear, or hatred for his lying, and continued, "When I first went into the TV, when we first watched the Midnight Channel, the whole place was white. Then the shadow popped out of nowhere and scared me into the real world. I was hurting when I hit my head on the table, so I fell asleep and battled my Shadow. In my mind."

Yosuke was silent, and so was the rest of the world. Even the music blaring through Yosuke's headphones stayed silent in wait.

Souji turned away in shame, and Yosuke sat in silence, processing his new information.

"What was he like?" Yosuke finally asked.

Souji took a while to answer, most likely trying to figure out what he'd let out to the music-loving boy. "He was… _I_ was… very, very wrong."

Gray eyes looked up and visited brown eyes. "I… yeah, I'm sorry. This is… out of character, huh?"

Yosuke smiled. "Hey, whatever floats your boat. Then, I would've kept bugging you. The answer after you gave up would've been even more out of character. Bugging anyone about a sensitive subject, you could've snapped and killed someone! I never knew I could think that far ahead so fast…"

Souji's eyes widened considerably, and Yosuke noticed. "So, your Shadow…?"

All Yosuke got was a wave from Souji's soft steel hair.

"Well, it's okay, though. You accepted ours just fine. It would be hypocritical to not accept you." Yosuke reassured. It felt like he was being Souji in this situation.

"So, are you just doing this because you think it's hypocritical?"

The question caught Yosuke off guard. "Uh… N-no, Partner! It's because I care! We're friends, right? Partners?"

The bell rang for school and Souji looked up. He looked over to Yosuke before smiling and getting back up. "I'm… sorry for bringing you into this. It's my responsibility for my Shadow, not yours."

He walked back to the door and into the school, Yosuke following behind. _Is what he said true? Could it be…? No, _he shook his mane of strawberry hair, _it's because we've been friends since we got here. I wouldn't care if he really _was _a mass murderer. Like they say "A friend will bail you out of jail, a best friend will be sitting next to you". _Yosuke wasn't paying attention and crashed into the wall and fell. "Geh… Owww…~" Yosuke rubbed his head.

"Are you okay?" Souji asked from farther down the stairs. He heard a crack of thunder, and the lights flickered. "Souji? Hey, where did you go?"

Another crash of thunder followed by the flicker of the stairway lights.

"Souji? Hey, where are you?" Yosuke shouted again.

He heard the door behind him open and click together in an attempt to close the door. The stairway was too small for anyone to fit by Yosuke without him feeling them, so how did Souji…?

Yosuke turned and walked up the stairway to the door, slightly ajar, before a gush of wind whipped it open. It sat still before banging open again. Yosuke walked onto the roof and saw Izanagi floating in front of a slightly warped space.

"How is that possible?" Yosuke asked.

Izanagi just stood there, protecting the space like his life depended on it. "Izanagi, what's in there?" Yosuke asked, practically screaming over the newfound bipolar weather.

Izanagi once again answered with silence.

Yosuke walked over, being stopped by Izanagi's spear. "Hey! I want to know what's in there!" Yosuke counters. "It has something to do with Souji, doesn't it?"

Izanagi nodded.

"Then I have the right to know what's wrong." Yosuke said defiantly. Izanagi left his spear in the same way for a long time, while staring at Yosuke's defined stare. He finally lowered his weapon and stared at the space before looking back at Yosuke.

He walked forward and slowly and unsurely placed his hand in a gray space. It looked gray, but it was actually black and white swirling with each other. His fingers popped out from another place on the other side. "Hmm…" He tried pulling out his hand but it felt like something was holding on from another space, even though his hand is visibly on the other side.

Yosuke, being the impulsive person that he was, stuck his head in. He gasped then ran in, full speed, to Souji. He was huddled in the fetal position. His eyes were just staring at the blank space ahead. Swirls much like the space from the outside made up his blank stare.

"Souji?" Yosuke whispered.

He looked up at Yosuke, still holding his faraway gaze, and smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Hi, Yosuke. I would leave if I were you." Souji looked once again at the space in front of him.

"Why?" Yosuke asked in that childish voice of his.

"Because my Shadow's not happy with me again. He keeps telling to put down the act." Souji smiled, but once again, it failed to reach his eyes.

"Where… Where is he?" Yosuke asked.

Souji looked up at him, then fell from the fetal position to his back. "You had to ask the most obvious question…" he mumbled. "My Shadow… The reason why feared it… Because this place… Everything… This _is _my Shadow, Yosuke."

* * *

Wow... Yeah, I had gotten into an obsession with Persona 4, (because Yosuke and Souji are ADORABLE!) and the storyline is epic, too. Though, I haven't gotten past Princess Yukiko cause she doesn't know how to die! But for my other stories, I'm planning on re-writing "KH: Taiga" and "Memories" I'm planning on updating soon. As for "Opposing Forces", the rough-draft is with FantomoDrako right now.


	2. Revealing Of My True Self

Just a forewarning, a person in this chapter cusses quite a bit. I prefer not to write cusswords but it was for the character, so… yeah… Enjoy!

* * *

Shadows

Part Two

Yosuke stared in disbelief. "This place…? Is your _Shadow_?"

Souji looked up. "If you look at it like that… No."

Yosuke stared at the unending darkness. Finally, a rather strange-looking Souji entered their vision.

"Well, hello there, Princesses." the other Souji replied with a happy smile.

This Souji looked like the original, but he had a glint of blue in his hair and eyes. His clothes were what their school uniform was, but white, and the white parts were black. It was like watching him through a camera's "negative" option.

"This place is ours, but he can't be a place. Like the shopping district for you. This is for me. I take comfort in that fact." He smiled up at Yosuke.

"Yeah, so you might as well fuck off. God, you and your whining are killing me. Oh, and before you get all pissed at this Goody-Goody here, don't. This is the "Negative Monochrome World". Everything's the opposite here. It's pretty awesome, otherwise I'd just be like him. Oh, and your opposite, my friend, it hurts how nice he is. I think I'm gonna throw up my dinner from three years ago with that guy! If I was with you guys, I might like him better! Pfft… You're pathetic." the Negative Souji kicked the real one in his ribs.

"No, it's just I've gotten used to your abuse." Souji replied with a small chuckle.

Yosuke stared at the Negative Souji. "If he's the opposite of what your real Shadow is, then where is the real Shadow?"

Souji looked upward again, and replied, "I _am_ my real Shadow, Yosuke."

Yosuke stood gaping like a fish caught by Negative Souji. He'd probably drag on getting the fish into the bucket of water, leaving them suffocating.

"Don't you get it, Dumbass? He's his real Shadow because Dumbass over there doesn't like keeping secrets, so he doesn't start any." Negative Souji pointed down.

"Souji, I think it's time for us to go. The bell rang a little while ago, you know."

"Oh, no need to rush, no need to rush." Negative Souji clicked his nails. "Time in this place goes faster than in yours. In fact, it goes so fast, no moments pass in your world. It's like the 'Dark Hour'."

He bent down and wrapped his arms around Souji's chest, underneath his arms. But Souji doesn't want to leave, do you, Souji?" Negative Souji asked, resting his head on Souji's shoulder. "Besides, as I said before, you deaf teenager, he could stay as long as he likes. He could stay _forever_ if he wanted to."

Yosuke stared down at the two, polar opposites. Souji just looked up in blankness as Negative Souji finally looked up to acknowledge the red-head teen. "Hmm… But it is boring if he stays forever. Letting him run loose and come back makes him more wanted!"

Negative Souji unwrapped his arms from around his opposite's chest and fell back.

"I suppose you could leave now." Negative Souji waved his hand, and it looked like a jolt of electricity had made it's way through his arm, and a spiral of white appeared. During the moment, Negative Souji's arms turned to a normal Souji hand. The end of the sleeve became black and his gray-black hand turned a human shade of peach. "There. Just don't keep me long, 'kay?" Negative Souji grinned and waved them out. Yosuke waited until after Souji exited the portal-thing, with a zap of black-and-white electricity, before looking at Negative Souji and following with a zap of orange electricity.

"Hanamura Yosuke, huh? Interesting." A cackle of maniacal laughter.

The trip to the classroom was fairly quite. It was strange who broke the silence, though.

"So, what are you going to tell them?" Souji asked in his naturally quiet voice.

"What are you talking about?" Yosuke asked, wrapping his arms around the back of his neck. "What would I tell them?"

"I mean, with me being my own… you know…" Souji tried to look up to Yosuke in the darkness, but failed. There wasn't enough light to see even an outline of the boy. "They always seem so prejudiced against Shadows." Souji explained afterward. Yosuke sighed loudly and said, "Yeah, but they know you. I really don't think they would go "Souji's a Shadow, let's terminate him" like another twisted version of the "Terminator" movie."

Yosuke bumped into something in front of him.

"Oi! What's wrong with you? It's still the stairway! I mean we're almost to the bottom, but-" He was silenced by a finger pressing against his mouth. "Why?" he mustered. This time all five digits were pressed against his lips. He saw a faint outline of Souji next to him, staring at him, his eyes almost neon white and a finger of the opposite hand pressed against his own lips.

Almost as if the silence were a bell ringing, a growl emitted from the bottom of the stairs.

Another growl followed from behind them and then a flurry of loud growls, hisses, yowls and other forms of emotional sounds rang from around the school.

By then, Souji's hand fell from Yosuke's lips and he was crouching slowly downward. When Yosuke didn't follow, he tugged lightly on the other male's shirt. Yosuke pulled himself downward slowly, ignoring the strain to just drop to the floor. Just as his back end hit the floor, he felt a wisp of air, and Souji's hands grab his own left hand and pull demandingly to get up and flee. "What-?" Yosuke started, but, being the oh-so-graceful person he was, being pulled quickly from a squatting position, he couldn't balance himself, and toppled on top of Souji and they hit the bottom step before Souji's back legs kicked up and tossed him toward a window. Souji was left at the bottom of the steps. Yosuke struggled up but was barreled over by Souji in a few seconds flat.

"Stick to the shadows. Don't hit any light, and hope no lightning flashes close to the school." Souji whispered before Yosuke could retort to his new-found headache with a "What the hell?" The steel boy was a little taller than Yosuke and stuck up closer to the lightning flash.

Souji's eyes grew wide and he turned his head as he got up. Yosuke was about to shout before he quickly touched his head and edged him closer to the wall. Not even a second later, a Shadow dashed out, it's long body tailing after the shining gray boy.

He was left dazed and with a blank mind.

Souji was running out of room and time before the snakelike demon caught him. He ran into a dead-end at the first year's hallway. The Shadow slashed at him and he dodged left, but the oil-colored mist whipped it's claws sideways and hit Souji in the stomach, crushing him against the stomach before finally the friction drew him upwards and out the window.

Time slowed to only a little faster than the Negative Monochrome World. Souji's limbs flew toward the school as if they picture of them reaching for the school would bring it closer.

Souji looked up to the sky as he fell. Funny, when did it stop raining? In fact, when did it clear up to a cool gray sky?

His lips opened to a "Yosu-" before he fell to the ground, his body bouncing upon impact of the earth. The bounce forced the "ke" from his mouth. He couldn't feel his neck, and he thought his arm was twisted in a slightly strange manner.

Yosuke followed suit, and he flung himself at Souji. His mouth moved in time to words, but all he could hear over the blood rushing to his head was a mumble. Souji felt the sudden urge to not care for anything anymore, let everything loose and just fall back. His head dropped to the side, noticing the bloody red on the orange-tinted grass. _That's a lot, _Souji thought.

A pair of white tennis shoes followed by a pair of black heeled dress shoes came running from the corner of the darkness in his vision. The darkness was creeping upon his vision much like the fog from the TV world.

"Partner? Souji? Wake up! Come on! You're the leader! You can't die!" Yosuke was hunched over Souji, his figure demented. A smile of disbelief was twitching back and forth with clenched teeth.

"Partner? Partner?" He kept ranting while he picked him up and it eventually became a string of trying to run two words together at the same time. He hoped this wasn't what his dream meant. Anything but this. If everyone's future wasn't supposed to have Souji Seta in it, let it not be this soon.

"Souji! Hey, Yosuke!" Chie happily waved from behind them. "What are you sitting in, Yosuke?" Yosuke finally dared to drag himself from his world and look around. His pants were soaked with crimson, unnoticeable due to the black fabric, the blood sinking in with the dark shadow of Yosuke and small red tint of the sunset behind the cool gray clouds.

"Chie… Souji… He…" Yosuke bit his lip and rested his forehead on Souji's.

Chie and Yukiko finally reached Yosuke and both gasped. "S-Souji." Chie startled. Yukiko looked at the scene before her.

They were still blankly staring when the ambulance came, sirens blaring ineffectively. Yosuke was pried away from Souji, fighting, and Yukiko was crying into Chie's shoulders, while Chie was trying to suppress tears and the most horrid of images.

PERSONA. .ANOSREP PERSONA. .ANOSREP-+-

The whole team was staring at their leader, either from his bedside, or from the glass window that surrounded his room. Yosuke, Dojima, and Nanako were closest, beside his bed, while everyone cried or stared red-eyed from the glass on one side or the other. Souji was linked up to a machine; a mask pumping air into his nostrils, while he had a tube inserted into his mouth, checking for any internal injuries.

Dojima was gritting his teeth, a habit he had tried to throw since Souji moved in. Yosuke was still staring darkly at his feet, and Nanako was crying.

"It's okay, Dad. I believe he'll get better, because he helped me get better." Nanako had explained when she got out of the room. Kou, Ai, Daisuke, and Yumi all went in next. After them, Naoto and Kanji, followed by Chie, Teddie, Yukiko, and Rise.

"Every day's great at your Junes." a little girl sang to the comatose male. "You loved that song, remember, Big Bro?" Brown eyes glinted when she looked over at the heart monitor. "If you want, I can sing it over and over and over again for you. Or I could be like Risette and be a good singer like you said I was."

A man in a white lab coat came in. "Honey, it's time to go."

"Okay." Just one more for Big Bro. "Every day's great at your Junes." Nanako smiled and walked slowly out of the room. "Get better, Big Bro."

* * *

Wow, some epicness! I was listening to the soundtrack during the whole time. (I cheated and watched the ending, too. For P3 and P4. They both are awesome, so yeah.) There will be no fixed schedule for the release on this product of obsession. Though if I got a half a PENNY for every fic I did on every obsession I had, I'd never sleep again, and I would be RICH. Oh, ranting, my bad. Oh, I think I may have mispelled some things, so tell me if I miss anything. I accept flames, comments, compliments, etc. etc. Just no cussing, please? I don't like it.


	3. To Wake Into White

Wow, umm… Some ecstatic people out there.

Rockondudes95: Thanks for reading, Emmy! Awesome friend!

James Birdsong: Thank you for your comment. It's nice people R & R that I don't know. (hint hint)

Silvermoon888: The very person that I was calling ecstatic. Thanks for taking in the fact that I don't like cusswords. (Or you're just underage… I don't know) And I will try to update soon! ^ . ^" Heh… BTW, I love your Persona fics, too!

And let the reading begin, my fellow bookworms or such!

* * *

Shadows

Part Three

They had all hoped it was a dream. The fact that their leader had fallen into a coma had shocked them enough. When Yosuke had described exactly _how _he had fallen into the coma shocked them worse. He left out the fact that Souji was his own Shadow. It wasn't his information to give out, though he did want to go running up and down the hallways screaming it.

School days got boring, if not slightly hectic. Souji was the person that held everyone together. He was the glue. The sparkling clear glue that every little girl wanted because of the secretive little diamonds in the sparkles. And now that he wasn't there, everything just… crumbled. Yosuke went back to being a klutz everyone passed by when his head got stuck in a garbage can. He still hung out with Chie and Yukiko, though. Chie and Yukiko went back to being the separated-from-birth sisters that they were. Naoto went back to being a "male" and the emotionless person that she disguised herself to be. Kanji became the rebel again. Rise hardly smiled anymore, because the person of her fascination was oh-so terribly ripped from her and thrown into a hospital bed.

They all grew a little… a _lot_… less fond of Shadows. If that was possible.

Only Nanako and Ryotaro stayed anywhere close to the same. Nanako explained, "The good feelings will help Big Bro get better." whilst Ryotaro replied, "Souji wouldn't want us to be moping around for him. He's that kind of person."

The closest people to him visited daily. Kou, Ai, Daisuke, and Yumi all visited bi-weekly because of certain activities. Dojima was often approached with updates on Souji's condition, though it apparently mostly never changed.

The glass-covered white hospital room was almost neon now, the moonlight bouncing off a corner of the glass and ricocheting throughout the room. "Everyday's great at your Junes." the little girl sang. It's been nearly three months now since Souji was admitted to the hospital, but the little girl still held faith in her Big Bro.

Nanako also found out that once every two weeks, just as she was leaving to go home, Yosuke would try to sneak in. He would always try to be sneaky, but end up falling over something. She tailed him once, wondering why he would try to be so sneaky all the time. Everyone knew at least one person would be visiting every half hour or so. Even Adachi, who had been locked up, was able to make it on certain Tuesdays or Thursdays. So why would he try to hide it?

Nanako sat by the doorway, listening to Yosuke. He often talked about school, how everyone missed him and how he would miss answers because he didn't have that little "nerd" sitting by him. Yosuke sometimes mentioned something about "Shadows" and "TVs", too. She never quite understood what he was talking about, but she felt it was okay to let him stay there.

PERSONA. .ANOSREP PERSONA. .ANOSREP

Two Months Later

Yosuke was walking home from school, the warm summer-like weather finally fading into a cool, autumn state. Despite the entire time of hot weather, Yosuke would still always feel that empty space beside him where his partner would be, listening as Yosuke would babble on about girls, school, and his work at Junes. He would occasionally reply, nothing more than a sentence, then let Yosuke carry on. He was intending to go home, play some video games, maybe take a shower, before he would head over to the hospital.

All that was stopped when Chie came running- no, _sprinting_- up to him. "Did you hear? Did you hear?" she carried on excitedly. "You have to come, come on!" She grabbed Yosuke's wrist, seeing as how his hand was stuffed into his pocket, and ran into the direction of downtown. "Where are we going, Chie? Wait-! Stop! Hold on!" Yosuke's protests to stop and listen were ignored, however, as they passed by an eager Yukiko.

They stopped in front of the hospital gates, and met Rise, Kanji, Naoto, and Teddie. Further up, they could see other friends of Souji's; Kou, Daisuke, Yumi, and Ai. Yosuke stopped with other eager friends of his. "What's going on?" Yosuke asked. He would've practically died of a heart attack by now of dread and panic, if their eager faces hadn't said otherwise. "It's Souji!" Chie exclaimed excitedly. "He woke up!" The group seemed to have renewed excitement from that simple statement. Yosuke flew by them, nearly knocking Chie over in the process. _Partner's awake?_ his mind screamed, _He's actually, finally awake?_

Yosuke slid the door open, running up to the glass that framed Souji's hospital bed. There was Souji, in all of his silver glory. He looked dazedly up at the new noise, but brightened at the fact that it was Yosuke. Nanako and Ryotaro looked up at Yosuke, their looks quizzical. Then, Nanako peeled her eyes away from the orange male and toward her "Big Bro". She smiled at his tired but happy eyes, as the only indication of happiness was his new, renowned wide eyes, and a small curve of his lips. Very small, only Nanako, who was closest, could see it. She said something, then moved to a doctor by the door, asking him something. Her eyes darted to Yosuke before going back to the white-clad man and waiting for his reply.

He nodded then opened the door, calling, "Yosuke Hanamura!" and waiting patiently for him to come. Yosuke darted to the door- he seemed to be doing a lot of sprinting- and closing it after he walked in. Tired gray eyes met wide brown eyes.

"Partner? Are you actually-?" Yosuke asked, tears threatening to violently spill over and drown everyone.

Souji opened his mouth, decided better of it, then nodded. "Who else would I be?" he replied. Yosuke stared, now noticing the small changes. His hair was a little longer, tickling his nose before doing the infamous flip to the left. His eyes were a little duller, nearly lifeless before Yosuke had come bursting in his sun-ridden glory. He seemed paler, though, and skinnier, but would probably be quickly fixed with his friends. He was probably also taller, with no gravity pushing down on him for a whole five months. And…

"Did your voice get deeper?" Yosuke asked, innocently.

Souji shrugged, then said, "I don't know." He cocked his head slightly before turning around and looking at Ryotaro and asking, "Did it get deeper, Uncle Dojima?"

Ryotaro furrowed his eyebrows together before replying, "Can't tell. You hardly talked to begin with."

Nanako piped in, "Yup!" Souji smiled lightly at her before asking, "Do you want to sit up here, Nanako? It must be hard on your neck to look up."

Ryotaro mumbled a quiet, "And anytime you _do_speak, it's for another person's welfare. Lucky little…" he trailed off, leaving Nanako tugging on his shirt to help her up. Ryotaro realized after Nanako slapped him, and pointed up to Souji's bed. He picked the featherweight little girl up and placed her on Souji's blanket-ridden lap. "Oh, Big Bro! Guess what?" Nanako jumped slightly, before turning to face Souji. "I can make a paper crane now!" She tried to reach down to grab a pink, flower-clad shoulder bag. Her fingers couldn't even make it past the mattress with the metal bars blocking the way.

By now, Chie, Yukiko, and the others had gotten there. Rise, Teddie, and Yukiko panting slightly at their attempt to keep up with the gang. "Well, Yosuke…" Chie panted, "Were you that… worried for… Souji?" She punctuated it with a laugh. It must've been strange for anyone who didn't know the quartet. Yosuke was crouched down, giving Nanako the bag with a smile on his features. Ryotaro Dojima was standing not too far from the kids but far enough, and Nanako was bending over the bar, while legs splayed next to her cousin, who was still masked with calmness but the brightness of his eyes destroying the mask completely. They looked like a family. Something that Souji might as well not have had, with all of his movings. Nanako was close behind, her father not being there most times, and her mother long passed. Yosuke just didn't communicate with his parents, always at work, school, or with Souji. Ryotaro never talked about family besides Souji, Nanako, and sometimes Souji's parents.

With this, every other person wouldn't have believed any of it.

Kou and Daisuke were waving at Souji through the glass, and Yumi and Ai just smiling brightly. Everyone else just stared in shock or pure happiness. Rise started crying and ran to Souji, tackling him in a big hug, disturbing Nanako as she stared quietly. Kanji shuffled around to the end of the bed before saying, "Morning, senpai." Naoto stayed in her place by the door while saying quietly, "About time you woke up." Chie and Yukiko walked to his bedside, commenting on "How pale he is!" and "I think he got taller." Sometimes a "He's sooo skinny!" and "I like your hair! It's sooo cute!" were thrown in, too.

Everyone was either shocked to the point of wanting to cry (as most of the females did, plus maybe a little bit of Yosuke, on the inside) or beaming in happiness, as the rest of the females, and all males happily obliged. Even Ryotaro had a small smirk-smile on. No one imagined Ryotaro smiling, not even if the world had finally entered eternal peace, and he didn't have to stay late nights to work.

Apparently, the awakening of his comatose, son-nephew did.

Souji looked around him, and noticed the doctor in the corner. He realized the doctor looked like someone he knew, but dismissed it. His mind was too hazy with medications and delight to think. He was told, when everyone was taken from the room (Yosuke, Nanako, and Ryotaro all by force, for their reluctance to leave), that he had another week, and if all went well, he could leave. He just nodded silently at the doctor.

PERSONA. .ANOSREP PERSONA. .ANOSREP

The Next Morning

Souji awoke to nearly two feet of gifts. People from school, strangers, friends, family even. He decided he would wait a little bit before opening them, though he feared if one of them was chocolate or glass, in which case it would break under weight or melt by the time after lunch came.

The morning was somewhat uneventful, but he didn't mind. After all, he was half-asleep most of the time. His leg was still in the cast, and it frustrated him to an extent to not be able to move it, or scratch it. The cast was scratchy, being made of plaster. He also had a full-arm cast. He must've broken that, too, and not felt it. Strangely, his neck was fine, as was his spine. _Must be one of the benefits of being your own Shadow, _he thought, somewhat bitterly, _Speaking of that, did Yosuke tell anyone? If he did, will I end up right back in the hospital after I get out?_

He fell asleep at around noon, the sun lighting up his still-silver hair.

After a while of dreaming, he awoke to a frantic "Souji!" Souji was dimly aware of them, but when a cold hand grasped his good arm, he jolted awake. A frantic Ryotaro was hovering over him. "Thank God." he sighed. "I thought you… umm… They say that if a person with a concussion falls asleep, they might get into another coma, so-" he blabbered on about reasons why he awoke the formerly-comatose boy.

"It's okay, Uncle Dojima. I believe your reasons are pure." Souji smiled slightly. Ryotaro silenced after a while. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Souji asked, innocently.

"They said I could get out early, to see you. And because the murders are over, so there really wasn't very much to do." he replied.

Souji fell into another silence, and he wondered what he was forgetting. He just had an feeling in the corner of his mind. Silver orbs fell to the edge of his bed. He sighed. That's what he was forgetting. The two feet high pile of gifts. Ryotaro looked at Souji, thoughtfully, then stared towards the cause of his misery. Souji, by nature, was not a very selfish person. He had the occasional needs like food, drinks, and maybe the urge to see his friends, but a pile of gifts that went up past his knee, but not quite to his waist made him feel like he was wasting money and time. Souji gulped then looked at the quizzical stare he was getting from "Uncle Dojima".

He leaned forward before grabbing the top box. It was a bag with a smiling dog face. He looked at the card placed at the top. "From: Uncle Dojima". "Uncle Dojima" was scrawled in chicken scratch but looked like, in some places, he was trying to make it fancy. Souji looked up at Ryotaro's bushing face, looking at the wall under the glass, finding it interesting.

The bag was small, and wasn't very heavy. He peaked past the piles of blue paper, to a leather wallet. Souji pulled it out, then looked at Ryotaro again , intent on saying "Thank you".

"I just thought you'd like to have a little more money to spend, you know. Since you can't work for a little while, and taking care of Nanako, and making dinner, and-"

"Thank you, Uncle Dojima. Though, it's okay if you didn't give me the money inside…" Souji trailed off at nearly twelve thousand yen inside. "You really didn't have to…" He gingerly set the wallet off onto the table and smiled at Ryotaro's blush. He laughed.

* * *

I decided to make another chapter, and upload it before I go to Church camp. I'm leaving this Sunday and coming back the next one. So, here it is! I kind of rushed Souji's comatose state though, I think. Yeeeeah… So I won't be here starting this Sunday til the next. And, I might start working on the next chapter. This story, in my opinion, is probably my best. I like "Opposing Forces" (done with my friend in Australia! Go Sis, go!) and "Memories". Thanks to my "Sis" once more for pointing out the Mary Sueness (I think that's what perfect characters are called?) of my OC. Sooo… yeah! I think i made Souji a little Saint in that "I believe your reasons are pure" crap... So... he's going to be a preacher or doctor or something when he grows up. I can tell already.


	4. Stolen

Yeah, back from Church Camp. Hardly home all week. Excuses, excuses. I know, I fail. Oh well, if you don't like it, meh…

SilverMoon888: Thank you! And I did have fun at camp! I'm glad you stuck with me through these three chapters so far.

Baka-Waka: (whispers) Thanks for the cheat/hints. Anyway, thanks for replying! And Kanji's place… (groans) Sounds like fun now…

* * *

Shadows

Chapter Four

Souji's day was fairly quiet after the presents. It took nearly half an hour, considering he didn't like to rip it open because of fear of paper cuts, they were small but they hurt. He fell asleep around nine at night.

Nanako was excited to see "Big Bro", newly awakened, but she became somewhat disappointed when she walked in to see him sleeping. _Well, _she thought half-heartedly, _it _is_ nine at night. _Her thoughts didn't distract her from the thought of the fact that nearly every time she saw Souji for the past half-year, his eyes were closed. She liked his eyes, they were a pretty steel color that showed his emotions for him, since his facial muscles seemed incapable to do this task.

She saw "Dad" sitting next to him, slouched in his chair, and mouth open while his head lolled on his shoulder. Nanako silently laughed to herself, with a massive amount of effort to keep it stifled, of course.

From the corner of her bright brown pools, she saw Souji stir in his sleep. Unconsciously, she held her breath.

The gray teen boy groggily rose to a sitting position, wiping away at some invisible tears in his eyes with the bottom of his fist. He looked from his lap to Nanako, instantly brightening to his calm exterior. Well, brightening up from the dark gray of tiredness to a beautiful silver. He offered a smile, not quite sincere, but enough to keep the butterflies in Nanako's stomach from doing another Indian dance around the bonfire.

"Hi, Big Bro!" Nanako cheered, then slapped her hand over her mouth when she remembered her dad.

"It's alright." Ryotaro slurred, his eyes still closed. "I'm awake. Just… resting my eyes."

"Or lingering on the edge of consciousness." Souji teased. Strangely out of character for him. Nanako gaped her mouth in surprise. Souji just looked at her and closed his eyes, in contemplation or content, she didn't know. His eyes, when closed, showed no one emotion. He snapped his eyes back open at a low rumble gradually working up to a quiet roar. Nanako looked questioningly to Souji who looked back at her, the only thing tipping her off to his confusion was the slight furrow of his perfect silver eyebrow scrunched up a bit. Slowly, the door opposite them on the other side of the glass opened, a brown head poking out with a slightly more orange head poking out above the first.

"Oh, you're awake, Partner!" Yosuke sighed loudly. Chie looked up at him, scrunching her face in an irritated pout. "Shhh!" She shushed, nodding toward Ryotaro. In a false movement, she hit her temple on the door, exerting a loud bang. "Oh-!" she growled with a small whimper in her voice. Nanako glanced swiftly at the presence of her cousin, wondering what his reactions might be to two of hs friends bursting in at nine at night. Expressionless, again. Even his eyes seemed dull. Yosuke was laughing while being hit in the shoulder, multiple times playfully, by Chie, who was rubbing her probably-throbbing temple. Nanako took the hint that maybe he wanted to be alone with his friends, and smacked Ryotaro on his arm, effectively waking him. "Huh-? What-?" He stared down at his daughter and questioned her why he was smacked. "We've got to go home." she replied. Ryotaro glanced around at the room, noticing the kids laughing at the door. He grunted, pulled himself out of the white leather chair. "Come on then." he sighed, tugging at Nanako's small hand that wrapped itself around his much larger one.

They left, only accompanied by a small laugh in the hallway when Ryotaro gently shoved the pair in the doorway, into the room. Souji was certain it was from the little angel he was glad to call his cousin. Yosuke walked into the glass room first, followed seconds later by Chie. "Hey, Partner," Yosuke beamed, "How are you feeling?" Souji looked up at him calmly, (does he ever do anything else differently?) and nodded. "I'm doing fine. Isn't it a school night?" Souji asked. Chie piped in, "It is. But we thought our friend was more important than a tardiness from school."

Souji raised an eyebrow, "So I'm more important than your education?"

Chie hesitated but Yosuke piped in with a quick, loud "Yup!" Chie elbowed him in the ribs, whispering, "It's obvious he didn't want us to say that!" Yosuke looked doubtedly at Souji. "But it's the truth!" he stated bluntly. Souji felt a smile threatening to tear away at his lips. Chie looked at Yosuke momentarily before gasping and quickly explaining as she ran out of the room, "I needed to go pick Yukiko up to have her come with us!" She was out of sight before she even finished the sentence. Souji leaned a little, trying to see her before she ran out. Yosuke just hummed.

Orange twirled toward gray. "So how's the hospital food?" he asked half-jokingly. Despite all his efforts, mostly unintentional, he never ended up in a hospital. He really wanted to know if the horror stories of hospital food are real. Souji just pointed toward the IV. "Oh, yeah…" Yosuke trailed off.

"So, have you told them?" Souji asked quietly. Yosuke looked up, gray and brown meeting in confusion and expressionless sorrow. "Why would I tell them?" Yosuke asked. Souji replied with a question that shook Yosuke:

"Why wouldn't you?"

Yosuke stared at Souji, whose eyes clenched shut and eyebrows furrowed. One of his hands was half-open, lifting slightly off the bed, as if he was going to grab his head or something.

"Because… It's… I… It's not my secret. Souji?" Yosuke from his spot near the tip of the bed, looked down at the boy before him. "Are you listening? It's not my secret, and I won't tell anyone if you ask me not to. I'll admit I wanted to go screaming it up and down the hallways with a megaphone, but I won't." Souji visibly stiffened, whether to the megaphone comment or to the serious trust he displayed, Yosuke wasn't sure.

Souji wasn't, either.

"I'm… not sure… when I should tell them…" Souji trailed on. Yosuke stared, "Wait. 'When'? Are you going to?"

Souji nodded, his eyes drifting close again. "Yeah, I was planning on telling them, but I just couldn't…"

"Find the right way." the red-head finished. It was sometimes nerve-wracking how close their friendship was. Finishing each other's sentences?

The silverette nodded. "Yeah." His eyes drifted to the window. It was high, and small, but big enough to see a scenery outside. It was strange how the light hit him softly, Gray hair turning a light silver, expressive eyes turning nearly a snowy white, and his skin seemed lighter, almost transparent. "Maybe I should just come out with it." Souji finally replied. Looking towards a suddenly self-conscious Yosuke. "Why?" he asked.

"Because maybe if I prolong it any farther, they'll come to hate Shadows more." the other reasoned. "I know it's going to be complicated to tell them-"

"'Tell them' what?" Chie asked, being tailed closely by Yukiko, with Kanji and Naoto following each other. Rise came before Chie even spoke, squealing into Souji's near-broken shoulder. Souji just puffed his cheeks in pain before Rise came back up, still gripping Souji's shoulders. Whether she was too dense to notice Souji's slightly puffed cheeks, or because Souji's puffed cheeks just made him look healthier no one, maybe not even Rise, knew.

"So, tell us what, Souji?" Chie asked again.

Yosuke looked over at Souji in all his cheek-puffing glory. "Ah ha ha… Nothing. Right, Souji?" Souji looked over at him, normally clear eyes glazed in pain. "Yeah…" Souji mumbled. Chie looked questioningly at Yosuke who just smiled nervously. "You're lying to us." Chie stated.

Naoto had somehow gotten Rise off of Souji, though no one knew how. It was a miracle, really. Souji looked dazedly onward, his mask crumbling. "You are lying to us." Chie gritted out, agitated and stubborn. A few minutes of agitated silence followed. Kanji nervously clearing his throat and looking around. Naoto enjoying a Rubix Cube she pulled from a pocket, dense to the silence or just ignoring it, and Rise looking at Souji. Staring, rather. Yosuke avoiding Chie's glare, and Souji dozing farther off into his own world that he's always had hold of.

"Okay! Okay! We were wondering when to tell you when Souji was his Shadow!" Yosuke screamed and curled into a ball on his leather chair he had claimed earlier. Everyone but the exception of Naoto and Yosuke, stared. Rise, eyes wide and mouth open, tried to form coherent words. Kanji looked dumbstruck and Chie was stuck between confusion and fear. Yosuke was still curled into a ball, and Naoto had only stopped momentarily with her Rubix Cube, showing she heard them, before working faster.

"Souji's his… own Shadow?" Chie worked out. "But, Senpai… That… That can't be right… You were helping us defeat them before!" Kanji spilled, his eyebrows furrowing into a sharp small 'v' and hands clenching into tight fists. Rise looked onward, tears in her eyes. Yukiko, coming back, (when did she leave?) shook slightly at the intensity of the room and clamped her mouth shut.

"But… they were after you as much as they were after us, Senpai." Naoto stated as she finished, looking satisfactorily at the cube.

"I know… And I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but… It seemed like you hated them with a passion… So I was… afraid?" he finished, looking up at them with confusion on his face. Probably the first clear emotion they've seen on him since… ever. "I'd rather you guys like me because of what I pretend to be, than to hate me for what I am." The troubled gray haired teen looked away again, his head lowered and turned to the left, toward that small window.

Yukiko just fell forward and walked to his bedside, placing her hand on top of his head, whispering "It's okay. I came in about half way through, and didn't hear most of it, but I'm pretty sure it's okay. You're you. And we all like you for who you are, not for what."

Chie looked troubled, finally daring to walk toward him. Souji visibly stiffened, bracing himself for what was about to happen. He thought about regrets, praying right then and there to every God he had heard about. He dared to glance up toward the cause of his fear. To his surprise, Chie wasn't holding back a fist in time to the beating of her heart rushed with adrenaline. Rather, she was smiling at him. Not a gentle smile, though, just her big, toothy grin. Souji stuttered, "C-Chie?" Yosuke even looked up with alarm. "Woah," he breathed, "You're not getting pummeled…" Souji looked questioningly over at him, with half of his attention still on Chie. He knew she wasn't so low to hit him with his back turned, but one just couldn't settle down with the next successor of Kung Fu, and probably Judo and Tae Kwon Do behind them. One had to be insane or merely too trusting to do that.

"Normally, if you got on her nerves…" Yosuke pointed to his lap, "Critical hit to the nads, man."

Kanji nodded with a furrow of one of his eyebrows, because, he too, had experienced one of Chie's "Critical Hits". Souji glanced her way once more, and she was smiling still, but more absent-mindedly. "Ah, Chie…" Souji sputtered, still trying to regain his composure, "And everyone else… I… I'm really sorry… For not telling you anything. I-I really am."

Kanji rushed to his Senpai's side. "But you have to admit, he's got a point. Right? Right?" His arms waved through the air, trying to punctuate his point. "I mean, here we are, practically _killing _them. He's only human, it would scare him to tell us, right?"

Naoto, who was quietly sitting off to the corner, nodded. "Imagine if were him. Wouldn't we be scared to say something like we're a Shadow, if our closest friends are mercilessly slaughtering them?"

Chie anxiously rubbed the hem of her skirt while Rise started glomping again, once again failing to notice his puffed-up cheeks. "I'm sorry, Senpai! I didn't mean to doubt you! Oh gosh! You might never forgive me, and then… I'll… I'll… I'll be empty forever! Waah!" She buried her face in Souji's arm, further enhancing his cheek-puffing. He may've also resorted to biting his lip. Yukiko smiled winningly at the red-faced boy.

"About time, Partner!" Yosuke grinned. "I thought things couldn't get sappier, though."

Souji stiffened. He looked fretfully toward the door, not the glass one, but the white wooden one. Yosuke noticed, and jumped from his seat. "What's wrong, Partner?" he asked. Souji ripped the IV needle from his arm quickly, hissing in pain, and lunged for Yosuke.

The last thing Yosuke saw was Souji's eyes getting wide, before the hand that clasped to his was ripped forcefully from his. It left a red mark, where Souji's hand was attempting to hold onto it desperately.

A combined cry of "Senpai!" with an outcasting "Souji!" brought Yosuke from his world of fear and wonder of what the HECK just happened. Not even long enough after to be called seconds, Souji's doctor came rushing in. Two long, white ponytails sprouted from his black hair, and his eyes were gold. Not the brown-gold, but like actual golden rocks were embedded in his eyes.

"Seta-dono!" he wailed after the retreating form. Not long after, hardly two seconds, the golden-eyed doctor fixed his gaze toward Yosuke and then the door. The doctor walked toward him, still keeping his gaze on the door. "Hanamura-dono. I ask for your forgiveness, but we must quickly follow Seta-dono!"

"What just happened?" Yosuke asked, still shaken from the Shadow. "What happened? Where did the Shadow take Souji? Who are you?"

The doctor walked closer still, until Yosuke could feel the other's breath on his neck. He shuddered. The doctor whispered something in his ear , then pulled back. "W-what? But… That…" Yosuke trailed on, mixing words together in strange ways. Yosuke walked toward the door, grim determination etched on his face. Too fast of a mood swing, even for him.

_Okay, buddy. Stealing people from under our noses is one thing, but a friend is another. I'll show you what happens when you take Souji Seta from Yosuke Hanamura. Prepare for Hell._

* * *

Aaaaand! That's the chapter for you! Four whole pages! Five now… But yeah! Here's my apology and excuse. I was on a minor writer's block. You can tell cause around the beginning, my writing style changed a bit. I also started high school! FRESHMAN! Although this lady I was originally an 18-year-old. Then she thought I was a parent. An 18-year-old with a high school kid? Wow… Anyway, rambling! I'm sorry! And the part about paper cuts… It's TRUE.


	5. Souji's Dungeon

I believe I went pretty fast with this update! If you disagree… Shove it up your butt and leave Right now. See the pretty little glowy button with a left arrow? Hit it. Right now.

SilverMoon888: Yeah, yeah. UPDATE! I'm excessively hyper today. Anyway, I believe you should be proud. You are now my official driving force. It's like "You've got mail". Really? It's probably- HOLY CRAP! REVIEW! RARARARA! And I open it and it's like angels are singing and then it goes "SilverMoon888, 'Oh, and update please!" Then it's the whole infamous "Someone… likes my… story… WAAAH! MUST. WRITE!" You should be happy.

Shadows

Part Five

Many colors climbed monotonously through the static of the electronic device presented to them in Junes. Yosuke was first in, followed closely by Chie and Yukiko, who was tagged by Rise, Naoto, and Kanji.

"Yosuke!" Teddy cried, crawling through after him. "Look! Another one!" The small primary-colored bear pointed toward an area, normally to the right of where he stands when Sensei and the others come.

All they could see through the fog covering the area, that, surprisingly, their glasses couldn't see through, was a white area. That was it. No black lines separating the dimensions of the hall-like doorway, no tiles, no shadowy figures lurking in even the background.

"I sense Senpai over there!" Rise confirmed their suspicions. That was Souji's dungeon.

.PERSONA ANOSREP. .PERSONA ANOSREP.

They had fought through nine floors, where a monster was literally at every turn, and so far, this dungeon had plenty of turns. And dead ends_._

The entire dungeon was a maze. At moments, what they thought was a stairway to the next floor would just be a staircase that they would find themselves upside down upon. Shadows would crawl toward them with such speed it was on par with a world championship racecar.

"Yosuke, we... we really need... to... rest..." Yukiko panted, once again casting Mediarama, giving just a little more health, and hope, to her friends.

"So many monsters!" Chie panted. She looked, everyone following her gaze, to a giant clock tower in the middle of the stairway, separating it. It was tall, looking as if it probably exceeded through the ceiling. Mainly it was silver, a slightly darker tint than the rest of the dungeon. The lining around the clock was gold, adding some color to everything, and the clock was white with distorted hands, swirling around itself and eventually each other, only to become straight and point at a Roman numeral.

"Hmm… So, which one do we pick?" Chie asked, raising from her position on her knees. Yosuke looked at both of them, squinting. Suddenly a sign lit up in front of the clock, raised just above it, and flashed, in neon orange, "Which one looks like my darkness?"

Yosuke felt some strange sensation moving him to their left. "This one." He pointed to the mist that rose from it. "How do you know? His 'darkness' looks just as white as everything else." Rise said, resting her hands on her hips.

"Exactly." Yosuke nodded, surprised at himself. Last time he checked, he wasn't the smartest. Now suddenly he understood a word game?

They walked upwards, Yosuke leading, Yukiko following Chie, and Rise making up the back.

They arrived in a tinted orange room, the citrus color only being a light shade. The same sign beamed in front of the clock tower again, the white around the clock becoming the same citrus color as the walls. This time it read, in a green color, "What color is my heart?"

This time it was Chie. "It's this one," she replied within seconds of the sign's appearance, and pointed toward the left once more.

"There's nothing there!" Rise said again, getting a furious look in her eyes.

"Exactly." Chie repeated Yosuke's earlier words. She looked toward Yosuke with a sad expression on her face. Yosuke just nodded in understanding as they ascended the stairs.

This time the room was a spring green color, only a little darker in shade from the last room. The hands on the clock were straightened out, now pointing completely at midnight- or noon, whichever it was. The hands of the clock also had purple spade-shaped spades that pointed to the numbers while the arms of the clock were green.

The sign blinked in red, "What should I think now?"

Yukiko looked nervously at the left then the right. She straightened up then pointed toward the right determinedly. "That one." She said.

"I don't know what you're doing right now. I just don't know." Rise ran her fingers through her hair.

"That's what he's thinking." Yukiko sighed then ascended.

The last room they walked into was a light red, nearly pink had it been any lighter. The clock now had a red tower, sparkling brightly.

They waited for the sign and when nothing came after nearly a minute, they began to panic. Where had their only source of guidance gone? Yosuke, who had been quiet since after his turn with the small Exit-looking sign, had turned toward Chie. "It should be Rise's turn now."

Chie nodded, still focusing on the clock. Yukiko looked toward Rise worriedly, while said person only stared at the clock, gaze staying focused. Yosuke looked over at her.

"You aren't focusing on saving Souji."

Rise looked over, surprised, at Yosuke. Had he really said that?

"I am, too! I want to see Senpai as much as anyone here!"

"That's exactly it." Chie stepped in. She moved nearly between the two. "You want to _see_ Souji, not save him." Rise stared over at her, then closed her eyes and sighed, most likely trying to refocus her intention. Suddenly the sign came into sight, glaring a furious purple color.

"Why would you try to save me?"

In near-unison, Yosuke a little faster than the others, they spoke, "Because you're our friend."

The sign then flashed out of sight, and the right side darkened to nothing, leaving them the only option to go to the left again. They hesitated at first, wondering why this was different than the others. Then they ascended, leaving all wondering behind them.

The half of the Investigation Team walked into a pure white room, much like the outside, no darkness or even hints of gray. Sat in the middle of the gigantic floor was Souji, who didn't have his uniform on. He had a pair of white pants, a white long-sleeved shirt and pure-colored socks. Souji looked up at them through dazed eyes, and the moment Yosuke started running, the floor turned dark, and when he looked down to wonder what had happened, his dark brown eyes met with bright glowing yellow eyes.

Yosuke looked up at Souji, terrified. What was his Shadow doing here?

Instead he met Negative Souji, who was grinning like a crazy person. But then again, who's to say he wasn't?

"Ah, hello there, Sunshine." Negative Souji showed a toothy smile. Yosuke looked around frantically, seeing no one else but Souji himself staring at him through glazed eyes from behind his Negative self. He soon realized, also, that the once white room had become black, and unlike the soft cloth-like feeling the white room had given, the dark room gave of a feeling of silk, of water.

"Ah, about time you fucking noticed, Sunshine. And I thought Princess back here was a slow ass." Negative Souji pointed to his Shadow behind him, rightly signaling the silver-haired teen for any unaware bystanders, though there was no need.

"Right… Well, can you give Souji back? Just give Partner back and… and we can completely forget this happened. It'll be like nothing happened!" Yosuke negotiated, hoping that Negative Souji would just smile and give his Shadow with a little red bow on top. Well, not exactly… But point made, right?

"Dude, are you on something you're little buddy needs to know about?" Negative Souji just cocked a gray eyebrow. "Just wondering."

"No!" Yosuke replied loudly, offended. "_Persona!_"

Instead of Susano-o appearing, he was met with Jiraiya. Yosuke watched, baffled, as Jiraiya landed beside him. "Where's Susano-o?" he cried, turning his to probably source. Negative Souji huffed. "There's a logical explanation for that."

"Is there?" Yosuke asked, eyes narrowing.

Negative Souji turned his head slightly to Souji, who, in turn, looked up, still dazed. "Should I tell him?" Negative Souji asked his counterpart. The silver-haired teen looked over at Yosuke, and, finally noticing his presence, looked up at the dark gray-haired Negative and nodded his head.

"Okay. Think of it as opposite day, everyday, here!" Negative Souji threw his arms wide, smiling a black-toothed smile. His black body seemed to stretch and his grin grew wider, though when Yosuke blinked, he was back to normal. Negative Souji started warping again and when he tried blinking away the illusions, he couldn't. Instead, when he opened his eyes, Negative Souji had become a giant dark gray dog

The dark gray dog had a titanium-barred cage as it's back, and inside was Souji chained to a plush wall on one side of the cage. There was a padlock on it, gold with a clichéd heart as the hole for the key, though there was no door.

"I wouldn't recommend attacking, Sunshine." Negative Souji commented as he saw Yosuke about to shout something. Instead of shouting a command, he instead cried, "Why not?"

"If _I _get hurt, you're friend here suffers the damages. Easy, no?" The dog sat down, now confident in Yosuke not attacking it. Souji inside shifted a bit, not even wincing as the chains bit around his right wrist, irritatng the skin.

"Dude, that's low!" Yosuke growled. The dog, in turn, growled back, "Whatever. It's not like you could ever fucking get Princess out anyway!" Negative Souji jumped up, drawing Yosuke's attention to a clanking on the dog's side. _The padlock… _Yosuke thought. He looked everywhere else on the dog, his golden-brown eyes stopping at the dog's collar. It was a simple white collar, spotts of black on it in some places, and it was held together with a simple sterling-silver clip. What was _on_ the clip, however, made Yosuke smile.

There was a golden heart-shaped key.

The redheaded boy tried to scuffle his way over, distracting the dog with questions. "Why would you have Souji in part of your armor?"

The dog huffed proudly, "Because he's mine."

Yosuke stopped for a moment, letting the words sink in. "Yours?" His eye twitched, he was sure, and one of his eyebrows were raised in disbelief. He remembered his mssion and while the dog answered, "Yup. And no one takes him away from me." he was only taking small quiet steps. "Why is he only yours?" Yosuke asked, stopping.

"Because no one is worthy to have him." Yosuke started shuffling closer, closing the distance, and when Negative Souji opened his eyes from his proud moment, Yosuke moved to the cage, pretending to be fiddling with the lock.

When he touched the lock though, small orange electric sparks came from it, shooting in the direction of Yosuke's arm. The giant cage-dog looked over at Yosuke, one furry eyebrow raising. "What'd you do?" he growled. Yosuke held his finger in his left hand, looking up at Negative Souji. "I don't know." he shrugged. "I just kind of touched it like this." he tried poking it again, but nothing happened.

"Anyway," Yosuke steered off the topic of his near-electrocution, "Why do you make it sound like Souji's some kind of high-up king?"

"Because," the dog laid down, his paws crossed in front of him, "He is. Princess over there is the only successful mix between a Shadow and a human. It's supposed to be the silver-soul and the golden-hearted, or some useless crap like that."

"So, Souji is the…?"

"Silver soul." Negative Souji lifted his head, the key clicking against it's metal restraint. Yosuke's eyes were dragged to it. "Try touching it, I dare you." the Negative dog growled.

Yosuke dared.

The same orange electric sparks came from his touch, but he kept his finger there, eventually completely grabbing it. He could feel the dog going against him, but he was too preoccupied with the key. He rubbed his thumb against the silver clip, melting it. The redhead grabbed the key, and walked to the cage. Putting the key in the lock, the cage itself started wavering, eventually vanishing, as if it was never there.

Negative Souji start wavering, too, and the image eventually vanished to one of Negative Souji laying on his back, the normal Souji sitting on top of his Negative's stomach. "Partner!" Yosuke shouted, running toward them, the giant dog form no longer blocking his way.

"So you're the golden-hearted part?" Negative Souji mumbled. "Damn, I knew something was off about you when you first came there." He leaned up, balancing himself on his elbows, and looked upward at Yosuke's confused face. "So you're not even aware of it. How funny is that shit?"

Black bled from the floor, slowly turning it white like the walls once more. Negative Souji started to fade away, still balanced on his elbows, and defeated smile still plastered on his face. The moment he disappeared, and echo of, "You better take care of Princess while I'm not there Sunshine." was heard throughout the room.

Yukiko was the first at Yosuke's side, asking about what had happened. Then Rise rushed over, fumbling over Souji. Finally Chie walked to the redhead's side, looking at Yosuke before understanding he was very confused, like he was most times now. Chie pulled a Goho-M from her green sweater's pocket and raised it a bit, taking them to the entrance.

Teddy was at their side immediately, repeating an earlier Rise, who was still fidgeting.

.PERSONA ANOSREP. .PERSONA ANOSREP.

Souji opened his eyes, nearly closing them right after. The white was blinding. He realized he was in a hospital and he shot up, before flinching downward again. The only ones there were Nanako and Ryotaro, who were both snuggled in a futon together placed on the floor.

He felt guilty, noticing how the gifts that he never opened were stashed on the chairs and they were laying on the cold tiled floor. He decided to start opening the gifts, removing them from the chairs.

.PERSONA ANOSREP. .PERSONA ANOSREP.

Nearly an hour later, the wrapping paper were still neatly in squares and tissue paper was folding in squares and stacked inside of bags. It was almost two in the morning, and he just realized how cold it was, even underneath most of the blankets. Souji was about to put the three giant blankets to use until he noticed Nanako, who was shivering slightly, and huddled into her father's arms.

The silver-haired teen picked up the blankets and one by one put them on top of Ryotaro and Nanako. Moments later, Nanako stopped shaking, and Souji picked up two pillows and lifted both of their heads up to put one under each of their heads.

Souji laid under the comforters again, feeling bored again. He couldn't sleep, not when he was asleep for near two days straight. He looked down at the tissue paper and decided for origami.

.PERSONA ANOSREP. .PERSONA ANOSREP.

At nearly five in the morning, he had folded all the wrapping and tissue paper into some weird shape. Most were cranes, to give to Nanako to apologize for making her sleep on the floor, and probably worry, but there also some intricately folded pieces, and some were even the birds where if he pulled the tail, the wings would flap.

He looked around the room, still feeling restless, and noticed both of the Dojimas looked more comfortable than before. He smiled, then moved his eyes toward the gifts littered around the floor. Souji then decided to open the gifts and throw away the wrappings of them.

The chocolates were all put into a big bag, mainly for the reason that they were all giant, and there were plenty of them. The glass pieces were kept in their bubble wrap, and put into a much smaller bag. He set to unwrapping other things, such as the clear wrap around some art things he had gotten, and most other gifts, such as books. Someone was even nice enough, and went as far as to get, a CD Player, headphones, and about five CDs. He could only guess his best friend did it.

.PERSONA ANOSREP. .PERSONA ANOSREP.

Around six thirty, he went out of his room to throw away trash, carefully avoiding the paper cranes thrown around. On his way to the receptionist's area on the floor, however, he bumped into his friends, all strewn behind Yosuke.

Yosuke looked at Souji concerned, and asked, "What are you doing, Partner?"

Souji just raised his arms full of trash and looked behind them to the trash can. Yosuke followed his gaze, and made a noise of acknowledgement. Souji continued on, mumbling 'excuse me's and 'pardon me's.

Finally he made his way back to the room, surprised when everyone was there, even Teddy, and Nanako and Ryotaro were awake.

"What's all of this?" Nanako asked, eyes filling in amazement at the assortment of birds. "And I'm guessing you're the source of the extra pillows and blankets, right?" Ryotaro asked. Souji nodded, scooping down to pick up a flapping cranes. He walked over to Nanako, and pulled it's tissue paper tail carefully. The wings flapped and Nanako squealed in delight. He put the bird in her outstretched hands, saying, "Careful."

Yosuke laughed, picking himself up from the chair, and patted Souji on the shoulder, though he had to raise his arm a bit, and smiled. "Nice to have you back, Partner."

Souji looked at him blankly, then laughed. "Nice to be back." he replied in his clear voice. It truly _was _nice to be back.

Hallelujah! I'm sorry for it being… (checks calendar) Eh… Let's stick with FOREVER since I updated. I was just busy with… (cue scary music) SCHOOL. (stop scary music) So sorry, but I have to! School is a punishment for a child becoming a teen. Especially when you're a freshman and your school still has to work out so many BUGS. Geh… Hope you enjoyed this chapter. So for my apologies, I made this chapter six pages long in Microsoft Works Word Processor. In size ten, with no double space or anything. I also notice that my writing style probably changed a lot. My writing and art styles are both very flexible, so they don't stay the same for a while, but I love my writing style, because it sounds like my favorite author's a bit. Never mind. Not really. BTW, his name is Dean Koontz. Love his books By the Light of the Moon, Hideaway, By the Corner of His Eye, and the Odd Thomas Series. Rambling… So sorry…

This is the end of the Black and White Ark. Next up is the Orange Ark!


	6. Orange Arc The Start

Scarlette Shizuru: Thanks for being one of my reviewers! Anyway, I know, I have been told it was confusing by a quite a few people. Is it really that confusing? Am I not elaborating enough, or… what…? And also, thanks for giving me a bit of motivation! I'm sorry I haven't been updating much…

SilverMoon888: I love the Odd Thomas series too! It's what originally got me hooked, because I was buying it for my mom, I recalled her saying her favorite author was Dean Koontz. Another believer, so happy! And as for Negative Souji, I was hoping too make him sound scary… Darn… Anyway, he's just overprotective and clingy because he loves Souji. Which is himself, so does that make him conceited? Your least favorite part of the review is one of my favorite parts to read!

The Sleeper: Thanks! It makes me happy knowing that I try and my works are appreciated. I was hoping it was fantastic, because I honestly get my lazy self to try. Thank you!

* * *

Shadows

Part Six

Yosuke walked beside his best friend, chattering away endlessly. He started talking about girls in their classes before he noticed Souji take the fifth sip from his water bottle since they started walking to school ten minutes earlier. "What's wrong man? Dehydrated or something?"

Souji just shrugged, about to say something, then coughed. He smiled and shrugged, taking another sip of his water, leaving half the bottle drained. "Wow, man, you should really get that checked out. What if you're sick?"

Souji shook his head, draining another portion of his water.

The next ten minutes to the school were filled with idle chatter. When they finally arrived, they were met at the gate by Yukiko, Rise, Naoto, Kanji, and Chie.

"Hey Senpai!" they all called in unison at Naoto's mention of Souji. Rise ran over to him, surprising Souji once more by looping her arm through his. Souji just stared at Yosuke, asking for help. "Sorry, Partner. Can't help you there." Yosuke shrugged. Chie walked up next to him, and added, "He can't. He's never had any romantic experience in his life." Yukiko burst out into her infamous laughs, while Yosuke blushed.

Souji coughed into the crook of his elbow, dragging everyone's attention to him. He showed a shaky smile, and drank another large gulp of water. "What's wrong with Senpai?" Kanji asked. Yosuke lifted his shoulders then let them drop. "I don't know. He's been doing that since this morning. Look, he had a completely full bottle of water before he left his house."

Everyone looked at Souji's water bottle. The sixteen-ounce water bottle only had a little dribble left in the bottom, and they saw Souji sneak his free hand, free from both Rise and the water bottle, up to his neck, and start massaging it.

"You might be getting sick." Naoto simplified. Souji looked up, shock actually _evident_ on his face. Yosuke stared at his face, and asked, "You've never actually _been _sick, have you?"

Souji shook his head.

"How do we know if he's actually sick, then?" Yukiko asked, from her spot by the gate.

"Well, since it's Inaba, it's a clean place. Hardly any pollution, and if he's never been sick while living in Tokyo, then he should've built a tolerance for it." Naoto reasoned. "Either way about it, you should go home and get some rest before it gets worse."

Yukiko pulled out a water bottle, and Souji glanced at it from the corner of his eye. "Here, Senpai." She gave the silver-haired boy the water bottle. "Now go home."

Souji opened his mouth, having nothing but a squeak come out of his mouth. Yosuke thought for a moment before asking, "Do you even have any medication?"

Souji nodded. He put his hand up past his head, as if measuring something. "Dojima?" Yosuke filled in. Souji then put a finger by his head. "Headache medicine for Dojima-san?" Naoto inquired. Souji nodded.

"Senpai, that won't help." Naoto hung her head. Souji just waved his hand, shaking his head, signaling he was fine.

Yosuke smiled, "I'll make sure he goes home!" Souji widened his eyes, as if asking, _How _could _you?_

"Easy." Yosuke answered Souji's mental question, prying away Rise, "I do this." And with that said, he grabbed Souji's hand, surprised at how soft and… _non_masculine it felt, and dragged him away.

First, they went to Junes to pick up some supplies. Yosuke turned to Souji, and asked, "Are you running a fever?" Souji shrugged his shoulders, eyes now becoming half-lidded. The redhead lifted his hand to the other's forehead. He gasped, "Partner! You're burning up!"

Souji stumbled a bit, though he was only standing, and not moving at all.

"I'm fine. Really." he mumbled, nearly incoherently. He started to nod off on his feet, eyes drooping and dark. "I'm… okaaay…" Souji's leg gave out and he stumbled forward, only stopping, not to the floor, but to Yosuke's arm.

"Woah, Partner! You're obviously not okay. I'm going to call Yukiko, she'll know what to do." He whipped out his cell phone, dialing 3 on speed dial, calling Yukiko.

"Come on, come on! Pick up…"

"_Hello?"_

"Yukiko! It's Yosuke! No, wait, it's Partner! He's burning up and his leg just gave out, and- oh my God! Partner, are you sleeping? I think Partner is dead! Wah! What do I do? What do I do? What do I-"

"_Yosuke! Okay, first, CALM DOWN! Secondly, where are you?"_

"Junes! Why else do you hear that awful song?"

"_Okay, that's not too far away. Take him to your house or his. Whichever is closest to the exit you're by. When you get there, put a bag of ice on his forehead and cover the rest of him with blankets."_

"Okay!" By then Yosuke had already exited the building, and was currently on his way to Souji's home. The redhead was dragging the silver-haired boy by his wrist, currently, with his physique, unable to piggyback or carry the other.

No later than ten minutes afterward, they arrived at Souji's home, ignoring the fact that Nanako wasn't there. He was well aware of the fact that, although the murders had stopped, the older Dojima was still a busy man, being a detective.

"Here, Partner! Just lay down, and I'll just go and- Wah!" Yosuke tripped over Souji's foot, that was relaxed off the edge of the couch. "Partner… You can't do that…" Yosuke whined, quickly put off by the incoherent mutterings of the silver-haired other.

"I'm… not… I…" Souji still had a calm face, although his voice was shaking, slurring, _breaking_…

Yosuke stood up when he glanced at Souji's flushed face, remembering that Souji was probably sick or something. For, perhaps, the first time in his life. Yosuke rummaged through the cabinets, moving to the bathroom upstairs, only to find, true to Souji's words, only headache medicine, and even _that_ only had a few pills left.

The redhead ran downstairs to the living room again, calling Yukiko once more.

The said person barely had time to open her phone and say "Yosuke" before the redhead screamed, "What do I do now?"

"_Yosuke? Calm down, because if Souji-kun's still conscious, then you're probably scaring him, and you can't think straight."_

On the other side, he faintly heard a Chie voice saying, "He can't think straight normally!"

"Okay, I'm calm! Now what do I do? He was right! All he has is a bottle of headache meds!"

"_Well… Someone on this side could run over to Junes to grab some things…"_

His ears perked up when he heard a calm "I will," probably said by Naoto.

"_Well, Naoto-kun said she'd do it, so, while she's running to Junes, did you do what I said yet?"_

There was silence as Yosuke. If Chie was here, she'd joke about how she can hear the poor, rusty gears trying to turn in his head.

"What would that be again…?" he asked, sheepishly.

He could hear a smacking sound on the other side. Most likely Yukiko having a long-time friendship reunion with her hand.

"_Put a cold cloth on Souji-kun's head, and cover the rest of him with blankets! Maybe I should call Dojima-san and Nanako-chan to tell them Souji's sick. I don't want them getting sick, too… And Naoto just called Kanji-kun, she needs to know symptoms."_

"Well after he fell asleep on his feet in Junes, he's been knocked out. Like even-worse-than-being-attacked-and-nearly-killed-by-Shadows kind of knocked out. He has a really high fever, like I think his brain is being fried. After that, nothing… Hang on, let me ask. Or try to…"

Yosuke placed the phone to his chest, and shook the other's shoulder, attempting to wake him. Said other whimpered in pain and tried to turn away from the offending and guilty hand.

"I think he has muscle pains too, or whatever they're called, cause I went to tap him to wake him up, and he kind of just… turned away from me. That's all I can say for now. Oh, yeah! Gotta go, Yukiko! Bye!"

"_Wait, Yosuke-!"_

By then he had already hung up, and he skated to the fridge, grabbing a bag of ice, and grabbing a washcloth, running it under freezing water.

He skated back over to Souji, putting the cold washcloth of freezing water on his forehead, just a bit over his eyes, and then the bag of frozen water, AKA ice, on top of the cloth. Quickly after, blankets littered the entire couch, putting the illusion of no one being underneath. Yosuke stood back to admire his handiwork before removing a layer or two of blankets from the other teen. He ran to the door when he heard a few quiet raps.

"Hey, Naoto." Yosuke smiled when he saw the navy girl. She looked up at her senpai, nodding her greet as she walked in at Yosuke's beckon.

She held up a bag, with a "Here you go, Yosuke-senpai." Said senpai brightened cheerfully as he grabbed the bag, walking over to the other teen.

"Eh… Let's see… Hey, Partner, wake up. We've got something for you." Yosuke moved the bottle a bit, hearing the sound of pills rattling in it. Probably the sweetest sound to a sick person. "It'll make you feel better." Yosuke drawled it out, attempting to wake Souji up, if the alien noise didn't.

"Senpai?" Naoto, who had been watching by the TV, moved forward a bit. "Senpai, wake up for us." She touched Souji for a moment, before withdrawing her hand, cradling it. "He's a bit warm. We'll have to call Yukiko-senpai." She withdrew her phone, scrolling through the list before obviously finding it and putting the cell to her ear.

She waited a few moments before saying, "Yukiko-senpai? It's Souji-senpai. He's a bit warm, and… I think the problem is you put too many blankets on, he might be stifled. Perhaps, remove a few layers?"

Yosuke removed more blankets, attempting to cool down the silver-haired leader. "Hey, hey, Partner. You need to wake up, we have some meds for you." The redhead started shaking the other boy, mumbling, "Wakey, wakey…"

"Nnnnh…" Souji moaned, trying to revolt away from the offending hand, pushing himself closer to the couch. Yosuke pulled his hand back, just as the other flinched away from the painful feeling of touching a solid object. Said other cracked his eyes open, dark gray with pain and weariness, and glanced at Yosuke.

His eyes seemed distant, as if not even realizing someone was beside him. They narrowed, and his lips parted, then scrunched together. About to say something, then forgetting about what he was going to say but not the fact he was going to speak.

"You…" Souji turned around, stiffly, as if he didn't have cartilage keeping his bones together, but rather cement. Yosuke just stared, slightly fascinated from this new side of their leader. Naoto had just stood in the corner quietly since Yosuke had first attempted to wake their leader, calculated look plastered on her face.

"The muscle aches are our first priority. If we give him a heating pad or a warm shower, that should help a bit." the blue detective instructed.

Yosuke grinned, immediately walking toward the stairs, assuming they put the medicine and supplies in the bathroom. Unfortunately, he had to scrounge around a bit, finally resorting to looking in every room. Finally, at the end of the hallway, he entered another bedroom, and immediately spotted the bright blue fabric above the dark gray covers.

He untangled the cord, hurrying down all the while. When the near-impossible battle had finally been victorious in Yosuke's favor, he plugged in the heating pad and placed it gently against Souji's shoulder, still eliciting a moan of pain from the other, albeit quiet and muffled.

The heating was turned instantly on high, and Naoto was in the kitchen, boiling water and staring confusedly at a can with delicious-looking yellow broth and chicken chunks.

The redhead, not wasting any time, and still believing that all females couldn't cook since the "Mystery Food X" incident, bolted to the kitchen, and grabbed the can. He laughed nervously when Naoto gave him the same strange look she had given the can earlier. He waved his hands, trying to keep her from questioning him. "A-anyway. Why don't you keep an eye on Souji for me? I'll do the cooking, you know, since I… like… cooking anyway!"

Yosuke poured the broth in quickly, and stirred vigorously, trying to prove his point.

All the boy proved was that he was just a little bit short of graceful.

Naoto gave him a strange look before shrugging and sitting on a cushion in front of the silver-eyed boy, staring at him, occasionally touching his head, wrist and neck with the back of her hand. Yosuke made the soup as fast and effectively as he could, only about five minutes later pulling out a pair of mitts and dumping the contents into a large wide bowl, and telling Naoto, from his place in the kitchen, to pull the table toward their leader. He stumbled out, a bit confused as to why Souji seemed to cower into the seam between the cushion and the backrest. Naoto was fidgeting, not knowing where to put her fingers.

Yosuke quickly set the bowl on the table, turning to Naoto for an explanation as to why Souji thought her hand was Satan's reincarnate.

"All I did was touch his forehead to see if he was still running a fever. He flinched away and started cowering in the cushions. He actually felt kind of cold. I'm not quite sure, however, if that is because my hands are hot." Naoto looked down at said hands, as if deciding whether to curse them or not.

"Well, with what's happened so far, I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Negative Souji."

"But, Yosuke-senpai, I thought Souji-senpai had overturned his Negative? Shouldn't there be peace now?"

Yosuke scratched his head, walked to the kitchen, then turned again, biting his lip. He scuffed his hair before saying, "Gah! I'm not the thinker here!" He sat on a chair, facing Naoto, but not turning it. "This is something we'd normally ask him-" an absent finger flick toward Souji, "-about. He's practically freaking touching Heaven with that head of his. I bet the only reason he _isn't _in Heaven yet is because the freaking angels feel threatened for the first times in any of their lives." Yosuke pouted, placing his head on his resting hands.

Souji grunted, turned over, and sat upright slowly, as if his spine was bruised. He turned absently in Yosuke's direction, probably more by the smells and sounds than by his friend's presence.

He got up, his eyes blank, and face flushed but pale. Souji moved slowly, his arms staying lazily at his sides, not moving, and his feet in a shuffle.

Naoto and Yosuke watched in silence.

Souji moved to the stairs, stared up at the top, then gazed lazily over at Yosuke.

Yosuke could hear himself audibly gulp, then drag over to the other taller silver-haired boy. "You need help up there, buddy?" he laughed. The other merely stared, then, after a long pause, he nodded. "Hey, what's up, Partner?" Yosuke asked, brushing by Souji, and heading up the stairs. Moments later, he came back down, and asked, shyly, "What do you even need?"

"Bathroom…"

Yosuke hung his head and said, "Fine, I'll head you up there, but after that, it's your territory."

Souji nodded.

Yosuke grabbed Souji's arm, which was drafted over him, the inside of the silver-haired boy's elbow bent snug around Yosuke's neck. Then began the increasingly difficult trek up the stairs, Yosuke was dragging Souji upwards, only much harder because of the other's reluctance to move. At the top, Yosuke prodded the other's ribs, grunting.

Souji looked down at him, blank stare still on his face.

"We're here, Partner." Yosuke sighed. "Come on! You've… gotta… use the bathroom… right?" He dragged the other to the door and leaned said other on the door. "Here. Call me when you're done. And don't forget to wash your hands! Guh…" He cringed at the thought of unwashed hands after the… bathroom.

Souji nodded and opened the door, after a struggle of not being able to latch onto it and turn. Slowly, he walked inside, and closed the door, watching Yosuke with blank eyes walk away.

"So, you think about what might be wrong with him?" the redhead asked Naoto. The girl detective shook her head, still clasped in her hands. "I can't quite think of anything as of right now. Sudden temperature changes, dizziness, dehydration, tender muscles, stiff muscles… That's a bit." Yosuke turned away for a bit, biting the side of his finger. "Hmmm… Is it possible for people to have a bunch of sicknesses at a time?"

"I don't quite think so, Yosuke-senpai." Naoto turned toward the other, pulling her hat down.

"I just hope Souji-senpai is okay."

Yosuke noticed how it had been an hour or so since he had first come to Souji's house, and he was becoming anxious. It had been an hour, and they still didn't know what was wrong with their leader and their friend. An hour of not knowing. An hour of pure torment of not knowing what may or may not be wrong with their friend, what might be tearing their friend apart. An hour of being helpless.

* * *

I'M SO SORRY! I didn't mean to have this unupdated for so long… The only thing I can say is… because it's the end of the semester, so I had to help one of my grades. I know…. FAILURE. (hangs head in shame) FO SHAME… Ummm… I'm also attempting to make every one of my chapters longer than the last. So, the drawling is to help my word count. I was also told by someone to do a review count thingy, so I can't update until I reach five different reviews apparently. So, ummmm… Read and Review?


	7. Answers

Scarlette Shizuru: You shall be one chapter closer to knowing! And thanks for reviewing!

The Forever Young One/ SilverMoon888: I'm sorry for not updating quick enough! / So sorry! And I hope he gets better soon, too! Thank you so much!

Kirly: Thanks! It's also nice to know you like my story!

Wonderful: Thank you so much for the compliments! And tips! I'm a very visual person, so that's probably why, because I'm more of an artist. A lot better than a writer… Heh? And Yosuke is my second favorite character next to Souji. And finally, yes, I'm going to say screw the review thing, it's not panning out, cause it means I have to write faster if they do come in.

* * *

Shadows

Part Seven

Souji came down a few moments later, stumbling everywhere. Yosuke bolted up toward Souji, his hands fumbling for something to help support his partner. He settled on walking behind the other, fingering his pocket of his school pants, which he realized he had yet to change out of. He looked disgustedly down at them, turning his fingering to plucking distastefully at the fabric.

Dark grayed eyes stared at him, though the brown eyed one felt like he was being stared through. "Partner, are you feeling better?" Yosuke asked, helping the other settle down on the couch, after a reluctant flinch from said other.

"Here, Souji-senpai, eat this." Naoto offered the bowl of soup, slowly pushing it closer to the silver-haired senpai. Shifting his body so his feet were dangling off of the couch, his sniffed it then turned toward Yosuke.

Yosuke looked down at the soup, then over at the blue-haired detective, and back down at Souji, who was leaning over the bowl, staring at the red-head. "I made it, if that's what you were wondering." Yosuke pointed a finger at himself. Souji still stared, the other boy finally realizing Souji doesn't have X-ray vision, and therefore can't look through him. "Um… Do you need help eating it?" Souji managed a weak nod, then turned down toward the liquid broth once more. Yosuke sighed and sat down, lazily crossing his legs. He put his head on his hand and pulled the spoon from its cradle in the bowl, holding it toward his friend, and saying, "Open up, Partner."

Souji opened his mouth, barely wide enough to fit the first part of the spoon in. Yosuke pulled the spoon back, the silver glinting before disappearing back into the dark brown liquid once more. Souji drank down the broth, wholly swallowing the chicken and noodles with it, then realized dully he had soup dribbling down his chin. He wiped it with his wrist, then licked the limb.

Yosuke couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend, in the back of his mind. He sighed thinking about the physical pain, then thinking about how much it must've been to have Souji's mind muddled. Yosuke brought the spoon back up to Souji's parted mouth. He was honestly confused as to why Souji had suddenly come down with a fever. He personally thought it had something to do with Negative Souji, but the last he saw of him was nearly three months ago, and even Negative Souji thought he would disappear for quite a while. The orange-haired boy furiously rubbed his temple with his knuckles, trying to block out the headache. Maybe it didn't have to do with Negative Souji _being_ there but rather from _not_ being there. Tears started forming in his eyes from the pain in his head.

He had also forgotten Naoto was there and currently giving him a strange look. A look as if to say, _My senpai is the sick one and you're acting stranger?_

Yosuke finally dropped the spoon, effectively startling Souji into a jump. He brought his hands to his head, and shook it to get rid of his headache and the offending thoughts. Naoto gave him a questioning glance, "… Yosuke-sempai?"

Yosuke glanced up at Naoto, who had stood in concern, and asked her, "Can you get me a pen and paper?" Then he realized he had left his bag at his school with Chie and the others. He hung his head, until a fancy fine-line pen and some lined paper were shoved into his line of sight. He grabbed the pen in his left hand and the spoon in his right. The music-lover smiled in victory as he proceeded to multitask feeding Souji and write his thoughts at the same time. Naoto watched in confusion. Why was Yosuke _writing_? He hated it with a passion, and the fact it was important enough to have to be done at the same time as feeding his best friend, who was sick. Naoto sat beside Yosuke, watching him write, and attempt to read the other's chicken scratch.

By the time the bowl of broth was finished, he had two pages, front and back, filled with notes and thoughts. And despite the fact Yosuke had chicken scratch, he wrote small.

Naoto was actually semi-frightened albeit her demeanor remaining calm.

"Finished!" Yosuke grabbed the papers and shoved them in Naoto's face. He glanced at Souji's bowl. "And finished? When did that happen?" He asked, more to himself than anyone else.

Naoto grabbed the papers quietly. She glanced over it, restarting when halfway through she saw 'Souji,' 'Sickness,' and 'Negative' in the same sentence. Yosuke had started toward the kitchen, spoon and bowl in one hand, and washcloth in the other. She glanced up as Yosuke returned when she had finished reading a few minutes later. He carried a new washcloth and a few pieces of unbuttered toast. He gave Souji the toast, and placed the washcloth on his head, as he was currently sitting upright. The orange-haired turned, his light caramel-coffee eyes flashing. "So, what do you think?"

"It's entirely possible if you phrase it like this…" Naoto sighed. "So there was a brain under those headphones of yours."

"I had to write it down because the whole thing hurt my head." Yosuke scratched his head. "Yeah… um… the TV's right there."

Naoto flicked on the TV, not bothering with finding the remote, pleased it was already on the News channel.

They spent the next few hours like this; Naoto watching the news, and Yosuke getting up occasionally to get something to eat for either him or Souji, or replacing the water on the washcloth.

When the sun was nearing the horizon, the doorbell rang, and Yosuke jumped up and walked quickly to the door, because whoever was at the door seemed to love that stupid doorbell. He pushed the door open, half-heartedly hoping it was their friends, because, God, he needed to change.

Rise immediately ran through the door, heading straight for Souji who, in his mind-state only saw a pink blur running at him. Yosuke almost laughed at Souji's wide-eyed "Oh-crap-I'm-gonna-die" face… until Chie kicked him. "Don't laugh at Souji! What's wrong with you! He's sick for the first time in his life and you're laughing!"

Yukiko tapped her bottom lip, "So does that mean he's never had chicken pox either?"

Yosuke looked up, still cringing and holding… that spot. "I haven't either." He grunted and leaned his head on the floor once more. "God Chie, critical hit to the nads. Again. I'm not going to be able to have kids ever."

"Well, if it helps the world keep from harvesting another generation of idiots, I'll do it consistently."

"You already do it constantly." Yosuke moaned, pushing himself up with one hand, the other refusing to leave his pants.

Chie pushed passed him to Souji, who was still on the couch, with Rise still wrapped around him, squealing loudly. Naoto was, once again, attempting to get Rise off of her senpai. Kanji watched from one of the cushions on the floor, hand cradling his head.

Yukiko had walked over to Souji, putting her hand on his forehead. She dropped the bags gently on the floor and Yosuke crawled over to her after a moment, tears still in his eyes. "H-He's been way out of it." The redhead moved to the couch, the said item squeaking in pain.

"Yosuke take care of Souji-senpai. I need to show Yukiko-senpai the papers."

"Okay." Yosuke nodded. He leaned his head on his knees, which were pulled up in a failed attempt to lessen the pain. Souji turned toward him, trying to pose himself the same way. He was able to pull his legs up a bit before he started to balance on the balls of his feet. Souji patted Yosuke's head, murmuring, "It's okay, it's okay."

Yosuke huffed before returning to his former emo-state.

Yukiko and Chie, who had followed the former out of sheer curiosity, turned to Yosuke and stared, wide-eyed. Chie was the first to say something. "Yosuke, I didn't understand a word of this, but Naoto and Yukiko are both surprised, so I'm thinking you probably did something smart."

"If you phrase it like this, it makes sense, actually." Yukiko looked at the papers in her hand again. Chie still stared, her lips in a fine line, as if she couldn't believe it.

And really, she couldn't. Not with 'Yosuke' and 'genius' in the same sentence and without 'not' interfering in there, somewhere.

Yosuke looked up, than over at Souji. He turned his head and his face boomed red, attempting to hold in laughter. Souji had been sitting on the couch, his feet elevated and his head just tipping over the edge of the couch. He had the same stoic face on, but there was a thin trail of drool from the corner of his half-parted lips to the bridge of his nose.

Chie turned her head at muffled giggles, looking at Souji, too. She tilted her head sideways first, then to the other side. Prodding Yukiko to get her attention, and unintentionally getting Naoto's, too, she pointed at the upside down, silver-headed teen.

Naoto merely gave Chie a "why-should-I-care?" look and went back to trying to explain Yosuke's earlier notes. Yukiko giggled at first, turned to Naoto and calmed down, then starting laughing completely behind her hands. Chie and Yosuke rolled their eyes.

The redheaded male then proceeded to poke Souji, whose silver eyebrows furrowed in frustration and pain. "Hey, partner. Fall asleep like that and you'll hurt yourself." He then paused and added, "More."

Souji's eyelashes fluttered before he turned and waved weakly at the offending hand. Yosuke poked him once more between his eyes to get his attention, then sighed and gave up, his hands finally straying from their location.

"Lemme help, Yosuke-senpai." Kanji got up from his place on the cushion and quickly rolled Souji up, and pulled down his legs from the top of the sofa. Souji grumbled once then slowly curled into himself. "It seems like Senpai is really uncomfortable."

"Maybe some of us should leave, so it's not so crowded. And make sure Nanako-chan and Dojima-san make it to the inn." Naoto looked over at Yukiko for the moment. Yukiko looked up, caught the glance, and nodded. "Okay. Come on, Chie." She grabbed hold of Chie's hand and walked out of the house, waving and quietly saying good bye. Chie waved more energetically, and started bouncing on her toes the moment she landed beyond the step. Kanji looked around and sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Where'd Teddy and Rise-senpai go?" Naoto looked around, too. So _that's_ why it had been so quiet.

Apparently when the door has shut behind the brunette and the black-haired girls, it was a silent cue for Rise and Teddy to come bolting down the stairs. Rise pouted and Teddy turned on his heel and attempted to go back up the stairs. Kanji's hand prevented the escape though, and Teddy was now fighting to breathe.

"What were ya doin upstairs, ya damn bear?" Kanji stared at Teddy, blue-gray eyes narrowed.

"We… We wanted to stay with Sensei, so we went upstairs and hid in Sensei's room!" Teddy wailed, flailing his limbs.

"But… We love Senpai! We simply can't let him sleep in this house by himself!" Rise cried equally as loud. Naoto nodded in the corner, glancing at Yosuke, who was now dozing beside the sofa. She narrowed her eyes in contemplation. Kanji's yelling, and Rise and Teddy's crying weren't helping any, either. "Why doesn't Yosuke-senpai stay here and watch over Souji-senpai? He's shown himself at least decently capable of taking care of Souji-senpai. If Rise and Teddy were to stay here, they'd make too much noise. Kanji and I don't know Senpai enough to do anything fairly productive."

Kanji let go of Teddy, certain that Naoto's conclusion will keep Rise and Teddy down in the living room, and when they left, to their respective homes. Sure enough, Rise and Teddy hung their heads, stomping over to the front door, and sitting on the step. "Fine, be mean to me." Rise pouted.

Teddy mumbled a bit into his arms, and finally Kanji picked him up, threw him over his shoulder, and left. The blonde turned to the red head. "Come on, Rise-senpai."

Said person dragged her polished shoes to the outside, away from her beloved Senpai.

Naoto turned, the last person besides Yosuke, and shook the strawberry blonde awake. "Yosuke-senpai, wake up."

"Mm?" Yosuke hummed, raising one eyelid to show that, maybe, he was listening to her.

"We're leaving, and we decided you could stay here and take care of Souji-senpai for us. If you need anything, call Yukiko-senpai or myself. I will take my leave." And with that, the blue-haired detective left, quickly and quietly pulling on her shoes.

It took a moment before Yosuke raised both eyelids to half-mast, and stared upwards. Turning his head he realized two things; one, Souji was still sleeping, but almost looking ready to wake up, and two, there was a terrible kink in his neck that was probably not going to leave anytime soon.

He groaned, silently cursing Souji's ability to really sleep when he wanted to.

In fact, the silver-haired boy could be both a light sleeper and a heavy one at the same time, and he knew that from trying to wake him up before noon once on a Sunday after they went to the TV world the day before. He slept lightly on the camping trip though; the moment Kanji went bolting by around dawn, Souji bolted upright, went to the zipper and locked it with a small number lock.

Yosuke didn't know that when the tent almost fell over.

Said redhead looked dazedly over at the kitchen then the clock hanging on the wall. Maybe he should make something for himself…

After the bathroom, though. The last time he had used it was a little bit before the rest of the gang came here, and that was about eight hours ago.

By the time he realized he probably should go, he was already done and looking down at his hands in the sink. He faintly heard a humming sound and looked up.

He gasped, his once half-mast eyes wide, and flailing. "But…! I thought you said…! What's happening?

"Well, I heard something was happening with the Shadow man, so I had to check it out." The dark-coated, gritty voice growled. He moved his black hair to the side. The same dark eyes gazed back at him. "And if you're wondering why I'm in a mirror, it's because of certain reasons. I'm sure you figured it out, though, haven't you?"

Yosuke nodded shakily, his headphones clacking on their place around his neck. He took a shaky breath before splashing the cold water on his face. This time he turned it off.

"I was thinking that Partner became sick so suddenly, so it had to do with the Negative Monochrome World. You said he was a Shadow, so naturally he was honest with himself, but he was also a cross with a human, too. So that means he's not as terribly blunt as most Shadows would be. But since you're his Negative self, you're like his Shadow.

"So what's going on? What's this Golden Heart and Silver Soul you were talking about last time? How do we fit in there?"

The other one sighed, running his hands through his hair again, before turning to the side. The mirrored boy did some quick wrist flicks before turning to Yosuke once more. "The Golden Heart, as I have said last time, Princess, is you. The Silver Soul is the other Princess. Before I go any further, I will say this: there is a very small difference between a Shadow and a Negative. In fact, there are very few people that have a Negative. A "Shadow" is the true self, the real person, but only if they lie to themselves, but they always run on instinct or commands. Frankly, they don't have a personality, a soul, or anything else. A "Negative" is basically just the opposite of a Persona-user. Just because someone's Shadow turned into a Persona, doesn't mean it keeps its human consciousness. Very rarely do Personas keep it.

"The personality of the Persona is transferred into the darkness of the human, and takes its own form in the Negative Monochrome World. Get it?"

Yosuke nodded, wondering just the faintest if he was crazy or if this was really happening. He probably shouldn't have offered to try Yukiko's food yesterday. "But there's one thing that's bothering me…"

The other turned, locking his eyes. "Go on, Princess. Unless you want me to try to read your fucking mind, see if I can keep you the hassle of saying anything?"

Yosuke blushed in anger before calming himself. He thought faintly of just saying 'Sure, why not' and sit there, waiting.

"Personas are connected to their user, right? Like, if they get hurt, we do, too?"

"Quite obviously. I _was_ there when Chie's Shadow gave a 'critical hit to the nads' at the beginning, remember? Fucking funniest shit I've ever seen."

This time Yosuke colored in embarrassment. "Anyway… So would you say that Negatives and Persona-users are connected, too?"

The gray man smiled, flashing his black straight teeth, which struck Yosuke as odd until he remembered when he first went to the Negative Monochrome World. "Don't do it!"

Too late. He was already curling in a ball, whimpering.

"Does it hurt, Sunshine? Take your answer apply it to your question and voila! You have your answer."

"Thanks… anyway… man…" Yosuke whined, and crawled out, nearly tripping downstairs. He curled into a ball; one of the pillows on the sofa pulled off and pushed underneath Yosuke's head. The redhead fell asleep after a while, the last thought crossing his mind, _Negative Souji still didn't answer my question about the Golden Heart and Silver Soul…_

* * *

Thank Izanagi! It's FINISHED! Anyway, if you actually want to hear my excuses, here they are! 1: I had school, and come on, school interferes with everything. 2: I had finals at said school. 3: I've been dealing with my Dad, and though I know this sounds selfish (it kind of is) I liked him better when he was emo-y because he was quiet and didn't think I was an emo. 4: I forgot the plot, but I was able to make up something when I was listening to an episode of Ghost Whisperer. I was doing my homework thank you, not watching that stuff. Otherwise, thank you for reading, and give me complaints, compliments, thoughts, feelings, etc. etc. If you're still confused, say so in a comment, and I'll help clear it up.


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